Academic affair: Exam advice from the gurus in Britain

Focus on the quality, rather than the quantity, for success: expert.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistani students can perform better at their Ordinary and Advanced (O and A) Levels examinations if they focus on writing precise answers rather than lengthy ones. This was stated by Premila Paulraj, the assistant vice president of Pearson for the Indian subcontinent while speaking at an information session at Froebel’s International School on Thursday.

Pearson is a company that owns Edexcel, one of the UK examination boards which provide testing services for General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and General Certificate for Education (GCE) qualifications to Pakistani O and A Levels students every year.

Paulraj, who is Sri Lankan, said South Asian students are obsessed with writing lengthy responses on their answer scripts. “Our students judge the quality of an answer by the quantity (of words),” she said.

But according to UK examiners who mark the tests, Paulraj said, short and precise answers - which may sometimes have just “five keywords” for a five-point score question - can get students better scores. Grammar, spellings and good handwriting also contribute to good grades, she said.

She said the Edexcel curricula, regulated by a UK standards commission, are revised every five years. The 2014 curriculum will be geared towards engaging students in learning through research, group work and discussions, rather than following the old spoon feeding education model, she said. Responding to a question, Paulraj said that British teacher trainers are reluctant to visit Pakistan but starting in February 2013, Edexcel will be sending Sri Lankan teachers, who have undergone trainings from abroad, to Pakistan to train their Pakistani counterparts. She said Edexcel is also trying to engage UK-based Pakistani trainers for teachers training programmes in Pakistan.



Javed Khan Jadoon, whose son Rafey Khan Jadoon studies at Froebel’s and received a country distinction in his GCSE examinations, said some of the tips to get better grades on offer during the session were useful for the students and the teachers should also disseminate the information to other students who were not present at the event.

Humaira Mobeen, another parent, said such information sessions should be organised regularly. “It gives parents and teachers a chance to interact with Edexcel officials and express their queries,” Mobeen said. “It allows us to resolve issues that might affect students’ grades.”



The session was followed by a certificate distribution ceremony for those Froebel’s students who received world, region and country distinctions in the GCSE and GSE examinations for the June 2012 session. Teachers who coached the students with distinctions were also given certificates of appreciation.

Shahmina Kamal, principal of Froebel’s, said she was proud of the “amazing” performance of her students in bringing distinctions to the school. She said in addition to the students, the credit also goes to the teachers and parents. “It’s not just the children, it’s the house, the institution that make them stand on a pedestal,” Kamal said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2012.